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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25119172">I can count the people I love on one hand.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightningfury/pseuds/lightningfury'>lightningfury</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teen Wolf (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha Peter Hale, M/M, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Threats of Violence, Torture</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:48:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,860</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25119172</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightningfury/pseuds/lightningfury</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter is kidnapped and tortured. It's almost old hat to them by now. Until his captor finds the way to hit him where it hurts.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>78</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I can count the people I love on one hand.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Peter woke up groggy and looked around. So much for hoping that Derek or one of his wayward nieces would show up and save him. He’d not given Beacon Hills’ True Alpha a single consideration. The room was like every other impromptu torture chamber he’d ever been in. Handcuffed to an electric fence with a low current going through it just enough to sap his strength and stall his healing. Table laid out with instruments of pain for some psychological intimidation. A disturbing amount of them had his own dried blood on them.</p><p>It was for such a surprisingly plebian reason too. They wanted the locations and combos to the Hale Vaults. Almost solely for the money too. Humans were disgusting. You didn’t see werewolves torturing for money. It was an old argument he’d had with Chris over and over. Who was the greater monster? Werewolves or hunters? So far nothing had really trumped his rebuttal of werewolves not slaughtering whole families. Kate really won that argument for him unfortunately. For once he wished he was wrong.</p><p>On the edge of his senses he heard his captors returning. There were extra stumbling footsteps and Peter had a moment to hope they hadn’t caught Derek, Malia, or Cora before those hopes were dashed. So that’s what the larger fence facing him was for. Peter paled for a moment when he saw who else they’d brought in.</p><p>First Derek, then Cora and Malia were chained to the fence but he was shocked when a handcuffed and gagged Stiles and Lydia were thrown to the floor in front of him.</p><p>The smarmy bastard who’d taken such pleasure in hurting him earlier was back with a cruel smile. “Peter. Peter. Peter. I knew you wouldn’t break under torture though it was fun. No I was just waiting on my men to return with a little more…incentive.” He walked over and raked his nails across Derek’s belly. He leeringly squeezed Cora’s breast and tucked his fingers under Malia’s shorts. Derek snarled and the girls growled at him but he only laughed. “But I know I won’t get to you through these. No. They’re Hales and you have too much confidence in their ability to heal, to survive. That’s why I got these two as well.”</p><p>He turned and kicked Stiles’ side making the boy groan through his gag. He grabbed the back of Lydia’s head by the hair and lifted her from the floor ignoring her gagged screams but enjoying how it made Peter wince. “Such a pretty girl Peter. A little young for you true but very pretty.”</p><p>Lydia opened her eyes to look into Peter’s showing pain and fear before she was flung to the floor again.</p><p>Peter growled.</p><p>The man laughed. “I knew this would get more of a reaction out of you. Your family goes without saying but who knew the great Peter Hale would have such a soft spot for a little banshee bitch and a human toy boy. They are pretty though. Very pretty. My men all think so too. That’s why I’m gonna let them take turns until you tell me what I want to know.”</p><p>Peter spat at the man. “You disgusting piece of shit.”</p><p>He laughed. “You have one hour to tell me what I want to know.” He looked over at Malia and Cora snarling their blue/gold eyes glowing. “Perhaps I’ll setup a livefeed. Such videos always sell well on the dark web.” He used his boot to tilt Stiles’ face up looking down into the hateful eyes with a smirk. “You have good taste Peter. I’ll give you that.”</p><p>He walked out with a sneer followed by the men who had carried them downstairs.</p><p>Everyone was silent for several minutes as Peter listened to their heartbeats getting further and further away. “Stiles?”</p><p>Stiles looked up at him from where he’d managed to wiggle up to sit on his knees. Beside him Lydia was using his shoulder to do the same.</p><p>“They think you’re human. Use your magic to undo the cuffs so we can get out of here.”</p><p>Stiles’ eyebrows came down into what Peter assumed would be a frown if his mouth was covered. He looked at Peter sadly.</p><p>“No. Come on Stiles. You think just anyone can do the things you do. Could spread mountain ash like that? Could keep up with any of us without something extra? You can do this. You’re magic Stiles. Use your spark. You think even if I told this bastard what he wants that he isn’t gonna hurt us all anyway? You can do this Stiles. I know Deaton and Scott have been holding you back but I’m telling you right now you have power. Use it.”</p><p>Stiles looked around at everyone. They were all gagged except Peter but he could see their encouraging looks. Stiles looked down at the ground and closed his eyes in concentration. It took almost a minute while Stiles’ body gently rocked back and forth before they finally heard the handcuff locks give way.</p><p>Stiles was free. He ripped the duct tape away from his mouth with a wince and immediately turned and ripped the tape away from Lydia’s mouth. He took several seconds of concentration again needing to close his eyes and presumably picture what he needed before the handcuffs popped open.</p><p>“Good. Good Stiles. I knew you could do it.” Peter muttered as he watched his much more fragile loved ones move.</p><p>Lydia rushed to kill the electrical feed while Stiles reached up to grab Peter’s cuffs. It took less time that Lydia’s to undo the cuffs and as he moved from Peter to Malia and Cora it took less and less time as Stiles grew in confidence. By the time he reached Derek the cuffs popped open before he could even touch them.</p><p>Lydia caught him as he was released from the fence and tried to heave his heavy body over to the table. His torso was a mess of blood and tissue where he’d been tortured unconscious earlier to that sick freak’s pleasure. With a wince but knowing it was more difficult to heal if she didn’t she started pulling out the larger chunks of glass and metal embedded in his shredded torso.</p><p>He breathed deeply through the additional pain of her pulling on the foreign objects but away from the electrical current he could feel his healing kicking in. Deeper than he could expect her to see or reach he dug his fingers into his bloody gut and removed a piece of wood that had embedded itself inside him during the take down. Mountain ash, it had resisted what healing he had been able to do before they hooked him up to the generator.</p><p>“We have to get out of here before they come back.” Derek said. He walked closer and put a hand on Peter’s shoulder pulling his pain. “Are you gonna be able to run?”</p><p>Peter nodded as Lydia pulled the last of the broken bottle that had been ground into his side out throwing to the ground in disgust. “I woke up here. Any idea where we are?”</p><p>“It’s forested outside but I couldn’t pick up any familiar scents.” He looked at Malia who was much more familiar with the forest around Beacon Hills.</p><p>“We’re outside of my old territory and I didn’t recognize any scent markers as we were brought in.” Malia said reaching out to hold Cora’s hand.</p><p>Stiles closed his eyes standing in the center of the underground room he slowed turn to face the wall. “We’re North of the Nematon but I can’t tell how far.”</p><p>“You can tell where you are in relation to the Nematon?” Derek asked.</p><p>Stiles turned to face them with a wince and a shifty look. “Yeah. Ever since…you know…the Nogitsune…” He shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal and headed for the door. At first touch it was locked but then they heard the tumblers move under his hand.</p><p>They followed him out. Derek half-carrying a still healing Peter up the stairs. There were no cars outside.</p><p>“Anyone else creeped out by the fact that they all just left?” Stiles asked. “I mean no guards. No cameras. Nothing.”</p><p>“Overconfident?” Cora suggested.</p><p>“Sure but the guy was smart enough to grab us as a way to get to Peter. This doesn’t reek of incompetence. I smell a setup.”</p><p>“Nothing to do but outrun it.” Peter indicated that Malia should take Lydia on her back as Peter set a path northeast. That Derek would take Stiles on piggyback went without saying.</p><p>Peter ran as far as he could despite his healing injuries but his energy was sapped. He needed food and rest. Still he estimated they’d run a good twenty miles and he’d kept his path as random and erratic as possible. Finally he brought them to a stop leaning against a tree and slowly sitting down as he panted.</p><p>Derek and Malia lowered Stiles and Lydia to the ground. Cora reached out to him and started pulling his pain. He smiled at her and petted her hair gently as the others gathered around him.</p><p>He could hear Derek and Stiles talking about building a fire. It was somewhat chilly. Lydia folded herself down beside him and allowed him to wrap his arm around her. Malia sat by Cora. Derek and Stiles returned with some wood and Derek had to jerk Stiles back when the fire suddenly roared to life under his hands.</p><p>Stiles remained in the V of Derek’s legs warming his hands. “Why didn’t anyone tell me I could do this?”</p><p>“I thought you knew.” Peter told him. “Or at least suspected. Didn’t you spread that mountain ash the way Deaton told you too?”</p><p>“Yeah but he later told me it was the mountain ash itself. Any human could have done that.” Stiles said sourly.</p><p>Peter shook his head. “What about all the magic books I’ve been sending you?”</p><p>“I thought those were to help me research! There’s a lot of kewl stuff in there that would have been super helpful if I’d known I was capable of them. Maybe I could have stopped Donovan instead of-“ Stiles’ snarl was quiet but no less felt.</p><p>“Instead of?” Derek asked quietly.</p><p>Stiles sighed. “He was trying to kill me to get to my dad. I knocked some construction stuff down on him while I was trying to get away. He died.” Stiles actually felt comfortable telling Peter and Derek the truth. He knew the blue eyed wolves would understand. He glanced away from the fire to look at Peter and the girls.</p><p>Lydia gave him a smile. “Any of us would have done the same Stiles. You don’t have to feel ashamed.”</p><p>“Theo told Scott I beat Donovan’s head in with a wrench…and Scott believed him.” Stiles winced hard. Their friendship had been sorely tested these last few years but this was the last straw.</p><p>“Who’s Theo?” Derek asked.</p><p>Before any of the Beacon Hills High School students could say anything to the Hales there was a furious howl off in the distance. From the way the ground shook it was clear it was an alpha werewolf.</p><p>“What the hell?” Cora looked over her shoulder but it was clearly coming from where they were before.</p><p>“So that’s his game.” Peter mused.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“It would take longer but setting a feral alpha out after us. One under his marginal control. Alpha bites one of us, preferably me, then he uses the alpha to control us to give him what he wants.” Peter’s gaze was calculating.</p><p>Stiles frowned glancing at Lydia both of them looking a bit confused.</p><p>Cora answered their looks. “An Alpha can force an omega to join their pack by biting them.”</p><p>“Or by forcing a change through roaring at you.” Malia said sourly.</p><p>Peter took a deep breath. “Okay. Stiles, Lydia up in the tree. Cora, Malia you too just below them. Derek at the base of the tree.”</p><p>There were protests but Cora at least obeyed her uncle grabbing Stiles and Lydia and lightly tossing them into the branches above them.</p><p>“Lydia can aim her scream from up there as Stiles can aim his magic. Cora, Malia in the lower branches. Protect and/or back up Derek. Derek stay here at the base.</p><p>Realizing what his uncle was going to do Derek tried to stop him. “Uncle Peter…”</p><p>Peter turned around and gave them a smirk. “There hasn’t been an alpha yet that can get the better of me.” Peter’s grin became fang filled as his eyes glowed blue and his face morphed into the sharp lines of his beta shift. He took off running diagonally away from the tree holding his pack. They were his pack. Or the closest thing he had to one. He loved them and he would die for them.</p><p>Derek wanted to follow him leaning forward several times as if he would take off after him but resisted with effort. His keen ears could pick up signs of vicious fight and his bright blue eyes stared through the woods towards the noise. At first when the fight seemed to end he was relieved only to brace himself when the approaching heartbeat failed to match that of his once beloved uncle.</p><p>The bestial alpha ran straight at Derek faster than he or any of those in the tree could react. It slammed its claws into Derek’s chest pinning him to the tree behind him.</p><p>Derek was lost to the pain only vaguely aware of Malia and Cora jumping down to yank his assailant’s claws free. He watched through blurry eyes as his blood pumped out at his little sister and cousin being flung into trees.</p><p>Large pale hands cupped his open wounds and Derek looked down into frightened brown eyes before they closed and he could hear Stiles chanting under his breath. “Please heal. Please close. Please heal. Please stop bleeding. Derek Please.” And beyond that Lydia just above him taking a deep breath.</p><p>He slammed his bloody hands over Stiles’ ears as Lydia screamed at the howling figure in the center of the clearing.</p><p>It wasn’t enough. They were going to die. Stiles was going to die. Lydia was going to die. Cora and Malia weren’t strong enough. He might have had a chance but not with these wounds and Peter-</p><p>Peter’s heartbeat was approaching fast.</p><p>Derek’s eyes widened as he realized Lydia directed her scream only at the alpha. He could still hear! He could hear Peter heading straight for the incapacitated alpha. Peter landed on the alpha’s back feet first as he wrapped his claws around it’s throat and yanked backwards pulling the alpha’s head and a good portion of its spine up and out.</p><p>Peter roared to the sky louder and louder as his bright blue eyes were taken over by red once more.</p><p>When he was finished Peter leaned forward bracing his hands on the alpha’s corpse even as his own wounds began to heal faster than before. He looked up as Cora and Malia walked closer.</p><p>Standing he reached out to pull a girl each into his arms. The three of them made their way back to Derek, Stiles and Lydia. All three had black veins as they pulled each other’s pain.</p><p>Derek looked back down to see his chest mostly healed amazingly but Stiles looking tired and shaky. Derek wrapped one arm around the panicking teen as he lifted a hand to help Lydia down from the branch above him.</p><p>The six of them stood together bloody and more tired than ever. Peter’s eyes still glowed red.</p><p>“Well…” Peter huffed out a breath. “Let’s try to get home. Preferably before they come looking for us. South did you say Stiles?”</p><p>Stiles nodded looking up at Peter from where he was tucked into Derek’s bloody chest. “More east now. Maybe…10 more miles?” Stiles lifted a bloody hand and pointed in a somewhat southeasterly direction. “That way.”</p><p>Peter nodded. He stood up tall and rolled back his shoulders. “Alright. Come here baby girl. You can ride me this time.” He pulled an ultra-pale Lydia into his arms and slipped her around to his back holding her hands around his chest and her thigh with the other as he loped away in the direction Stiles indicated.</p><p>Behind him he heard a brief fight for who was going to carry Stiles that Derek finally conceded to Malia due to his blood loss.</p><p>Meanwhile Peter’s mind raced. He was an alpha again and already his fangs itched. However his ideal pack was already here and as he sprinted through the trees they followed him.</p><p>The sights, smells, and sounds of Beacon Hills were soon assaulting his increased senses as he detoured through the back alleys, the shadows of the buildings to his apartment. He let Lydia down to retrieve his spare key. Rather than put it under a rock he’d instead chosen to encase it in a concrete mold which he now shattered in his hand as his nephew and nieces arrived behind him with Stiles stepping away from Malia with a stagger as Derek caught him and held him up.</p><p>Peter opened the door and ushered everyone inside. He locked the door and armed the security system with a sigh. Turning he leaned against the door and surveyed them. Stiles and Lydia were mostly just bruised from the kidnapping but they looked ultra-pale and dead on their feet. Malia and Cora were both sporting bloody claw marks and Derek’s wounds had closed but he had two massive pits on his chest where his muscles hadn’t quite finished healing yet. They were all filthy with blood, dirt and tree sap.</p><p>“Alright. Everyone into the shower. I’ll order something. Pizza? Chinese? Indian?”</p><p>“Pizza.” Derek and Stiles replied but were overruled by the girl’s request for Vietnamese.</p><p>Cora, the only one who’d been inside his apartment before, led the others into his massive walk-in shower.</p><p>Peter listened to some vague protests from Stiles and Lydia about modesty but everyone was too spent to care all that much. Still when Peter joined them after ordering the food he noticed the girls were in one corner, the boys the other. He chuckled but undressed and joined the boys in their washing up.</p><p>Afterwards, dressed in Peter’s clothes mostly oversized clothes they sat around the living room quietly slurping pho noodles and eating edamame when Peter finally addressed the elephant in the room. “I need a pack.”</p><p>Cora snorted and rolled her eyes in typical Hale fashion. She glanced around the room. “And what are we? Chopped rabbit?”</p><p>He smiled. “I was hoping you would all join me. Reform the Hale pack with the remaining Hales, with a strong Spark, and a powerful banshee as Emissaries and human pack mates. He may have been a bastard but he wasn’t wrong. Everyone in this room is everyone on Earth I give a single damn about.”</p><p>“What about Chris?” Lydia asked with a raised eyebrow.</p><p>Peter refused to blush. “He’s a hunter. He’s never gonna join a pack.”</p><p>“But you do care for him?” She pressed.</p><p>“Topic for another day my dear. Now. Who will join me?”</p><p>Cora rose to her knees and shuffled over to him first tilting her head to the side bearing her throat for the gentle caress of his teeth. Pulling back they rubbed their noses together with a smile.</p><p>Derek shared a look with Stiles before leaning over and submitting to the soft bite.</p><p>Malia and Lydia and Stiles spoke quietly together.</p><p>Peter unashamedly listened in. Malia didn’t much care for a pack. The coyote in her he assumed.</p><p>Lydia argued that the more she learned about the supernatural world the more she knew being in a pack was for the best.</p><p>Stiles was curiously quiet before he locked eyes with Derek and his nephew gave the tiniest of nods which Stiles returned before leaning back and looking over all of them. “I’m in.”</p><p>“What about Scott?” Malia asked.</p><p>Stiles sighed and shook his head. He did not want to talk about it. “He doesn’t own me. I’d rather throw my lot in with Peter.”</p><p>Malia looked at the humans who’d been by her side since she’d regained a human form. “Okay.”</p><p>Stiles went first letting Peter finally bite him gently on the arm. Not deeply enough to turn him not that it would. At this point Peter didn’t think Stiles could be turned. Like Lydia his own spark wouldn’t allow it.</p><p>Lydia let him rebite his bite on her wrist.</p><p>Finally Malia shuffled closer. “I’m still not convinced you’re my father.”</p><p>Peter sighed. “Me neither. You are a Hale but I think it more likely you’re the child of one of those Hales lost to the fire. Uncle Peter? Is that okay?”</p><p>Malia thought for a few seconds before nodding and tilting her neck for the bite as well.</p><p>Peter sighed relaxing now that he had the five of them under his influence. The pack bonds thrummed gently in his mind. He opened his arms pulling them into himself. Derek and Cora came easily fitting themselves in close. Malia was a little reluctant but allowed Cora to pull her in. Stiles and Lydia mutter to each other, something about puppy piles, before coming closer as well.</p><p>Peter scent marked each of them gratefully but motioning them to stand. “Let’s all get to bed. We’ll rest up and then go back there and kill that bastard and his men.”</p><p>He could smell their surprise. He chuckled. “I’m not McCall. I’m not gonna sit back and let some threat sit on our borders waiting to pounce.”</p><p>Stiles sighed in relief. “Thank the gods. I’m so sick and tired of being blindsided by this stupid shit.”</p><p>Lydia rolled her eyes but nodded in agreement.</p><p>Derek looked oddly relieved.</p><p>Cora and Malia just looked bloodthirsty.</p><p>Peter pulled back the covers on his bed and crawled in opening his arms again. This time Cora and Malia pulled Lydia in with them cuddling the mostly human girl between them as they tucked themselves under Peter’s arm. Cora, being raised with a cuddly Uncle Peter took the lead and end up half on top of the older alpha wolf her head pillowed on one pec as she quickly drifted to sleep.</p><p>Lydia was stiff pressed in against his warm firm side but finally relaxed and fell asleep being spooned by an ultra-alert Malia who only dropped off once everyone else’s heart rates smoothed out.</p><p>Stiles clearly felt awkward trying to arrange his long limbs but he was spooned by a big warm Derek who held Peter’s hand seeming calmer and more comfortable than Stiles had ever seen him before. This was Derek with a stable alpha. Stiles felt a little disbelieving that he was here being pressed between the two men. One hand stretched over Peter and Cora to hold Lydia’s hand. This was it. Pack. This was what a pack felt like and it was amazing.</p>
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